The Ultimate Guide to Heart Chakra Healing For Complete Beginners

The heart chakra for thousands of years has been known as the center of love, unity, and balance.

When was the last time you felt open, receptive, forgiving, accepting, generous, and connected to both yourself and other people? This was most likely when your heart chakra was healthy and balanced.

However, if you chronically experience a sense of social isolation, loneliness, resentment, bitterness or fear, you likely have a blocked heart chakra.

There are many causes of a blocked, suppressed or stagnant heart chakra. Some of the most common life experiences that impair the heart chakra include experiencing physical or emotional abuse as a child, being raised by an emotionally cold or narcissistic parent, being denied affection and love growing up, adopting unhealthy societal beliefs surrounding love, and developing self-destructive habits that block the giving and receiving of love.

This guide will help you initiate your own unique process of heart chakra healing.

What is the Heart Chakra?

The heart chakra, or Anahata, is the center of love, balance, and connection. Located right in the center of the chest in the heart region, the heart chakra is associated with the color green and the element of air. This chakra is responsible for regulating the energy associated with self-acceptance, self-love, compassion, openness, and unconditional love of others.

What is Heart Chakra Healing?

Heart chakra healing is the practice of opening, clearing, cleansing, supporting, and strengthening the heart chakra within our bodies. Heart chakra healing involves using a number of holistic remedies to bring the body, mind, and spirit into alignment. Such remedies often involve catharsis, aromatherapy, sound healing, movement and color therapy, meditation, and crystal healing to re-establish harmony within the body-mind organism.

19 Signs of an Unhealthy Heart Chakra

The best way to tell whether you need to undergo heart chakra healing is to pay attention to your thoughts, feelings, actions, and physical sensations within your body.

Therefore, if you have a deficient heart chakra, you will be more prone to issues such as social anxiety, isolation, and self-critical thoughts. On the other hand, if you have an excessive heart chakra you will be prone to clinginess, smothering displays love, and adopting the role of martyr.

The question is, what type of imbalance do you have? It’s also possible to fall somewhere in the middle.

21 Heart Chakra Healing Practices

So what does a healthy and balanced heart chakra look and feel like?

When you have a clear, strong and harmonious heart chakra, you will firstly feel open and receptive. You will no longer struggle with isolation, fear, and bitterness, but instead, you’ll feel courageous enough to open your heart to others. You’ll realize that you can only truly learn how to love others when you love yourself. Profound self-acceptance and self-love will come to define your relationship with yourself. As a result, your heart will soften and feel safe around others, even when they try to hurt you.

Not only will you develop self-love, but you will begin to release old toxic behavioral patterns that came to define your relationships. You will give up being a victim or martyr, and you will come to trust in yourself more. The more trust and love you develop towards yourself, the more you will be able to show compassion and understanding to others. You will feel loving, expansive, receptive, and forgiving of both yourself and other people.

Here are the best heart chakra healing practices out there which will help you balance this energy center:

1. Go forest bathing

Best suited to: deficient and excessive blockages

As green is the color of the heart chakra, going out in nature will help your heart to open. “Forest bathing” is actually a term that originated in Japan known as Shinrin Yoku, and it has many scientifically proven benefits. If you don’t live near a forest, don’t worry. Simply go to your local park, woodland, bushland or other areas full of greenery. If you live in a city with no nature, try getting a pot plant or indoor shrubs to encourage heart chakra healing.

2. Do a loving-kindness meditation

Best suited to: deficient and excessive blockages

A balanced heart is beautiful. It dissolves the illusion of separateness and shares loving kindness with others. If your heart chakra feels congested, try the loving kindness meditation. Simply sit down in a quiet spot and connect with your breath. Allow your chest area to soften as you direct loving energy towards yourself. Afterward, choose four different types of people to direct loving energy towards including a loved one, a person close to you, a neutral person (like an acquaintance), and an enemy or hostile person. You might like to visualize loving energy or say a mantra such as “I radiate love to you” to assist with this meditation.

3. Establish clear personal boundaries

Best suited to: excessive blockages

Examine where in your life you are permitting other people to overstep your boundaries. At what times do you say “yes” when you desperately want to say “no”? Which people in your life ask too much from you? In which areas of your life do you feel anxious and ungrounded? Develop the habit of drawing the line and respectfully letting people know where your limits are. Practice assertiveness and take care of yourself.

4. Use the following herbs

Best suited to: deficient and excessive blockages

Use herbs such as rose, astragalus, holy basil, hawthorn, nettle, hops, and angelica to open and clear the heart chakra.

One of the best ways to take herbs is to drink them as tea. For the heart chakra, I recommend Buddha Teas’ soothing and 100% organic Heart Chakra Tea which you can buy here. This tea is infused with the essence of rose quartz.

5. Practice empathy by asking “What if?”

Best suited to: deficient and excessive blockages

It can be easy for the mind to make rash conclusions about other people. Often these conclusions are judgmental, harsh, and unloving. The next time you find yourself feeling angry towards another person, ask the question “What if?” For example, if someone is rude to you, ask, “What if that person just lost their job?” Or if you struggle to get along with someone else, ask, “What if that person’s childhood traumatized them so much that they can’t relate to others?” Remember that there is always a story behind the behavior of others.

6. Hug more

Best suited to: deficient and excessive blockages

Human beings are social creatures that require loving physical contact in order to remain healthy. Hugging releases oxytocin which is a chemical that calms down the entire body and is a natural antidepressant. Try to hug your loved ones more. If you don’t have anyone to hug, try hugging yourself as an expression of self-love.

7. Show self-love by giving yourself the permission to feel

Best suited to: deficient and excessive blockages

One of the greatest forms of violence we show towards ourselves unknowingly is avoiding our emotions. Our emotions are not made to be controlled, repressed or shut out – they are expressions of our humanity that we need to embrace. Give yourself the permission to be unhappy, angry, sad, bored, jealousy, and all emotions which you usually shun. Anchor yourself in your breath, and allow these emotions to pass through you. Read more about opening your heart and experiencing your emotions.

8. Allow yourself to receive love

Best suited to: deficient blockages

Often times we tend to ignore or downplay expressions of love from other people out of low self-esteem and fear. Instead of denying affection or compliments, experiment with accepting them graciously. You might feel a little bit awkward at first, but this simple change in behavior can open up your heart more.

10. Be thankful and show gratitude

Best suited to: deficient and excessive blockages

It’s unfortunate that we take so much for granted. One of the best heart chakra healing practices out there is simply to acknowledge all the blessings you have. Simply sit down and look at, or think of, all the things you love about your life. Silently say “thank you” to each one of them or say a prayer of gratitude if that feels appropriate.

11. Do shadow work

Best suited to: deficient and excessive blockages

Often when our heart chakra is closed, it means that we are storing a lot of dark energy within our subconscious minds. Your shadow self is the part of you where all of your rejected and denied personality traits, thoughts, feelings, habits, and socially unacceptable ego parts are stored. When you start to access these locked away parts of you and embrace them, your heart immediately opens a little more. Read more about the shadow self and shadow work.

13. Do a forgiveness ritual

Best suited to: deficient blockages

Forgiveness starts with you first. In what ways have you mistreated yourself? Write a loving letter to yourself asking for forgiveness, and either burn it or keep it someplace safe. If you’re holding onto resentment towards another person, try a self-designed ritual that includes one of the elements (earth, fire, water, wind). For example, if you need to forgive your mother, try lighting a candle and saying a prayer such as, “Dear Life/Spirit, may my heart release resentment towards my mother. Amen.” Then blow out the candle.

15. Let go of the Martyr role

Best suited to: excessive blockages

A Martyr is a person who has adopted the role of the self-sacrificing saint. The only problem is that this role is fuelled by low self-esteem, the desire for praise and adoration, and the avoidance of self-responsibility. Martyrs will take care of everyone else but themselves, and will often resort to unconsciously manipulating those around them to maintain their role.

If you tend to be a Martyr in your relationship, try to find another healthy role to adopt such as the friend, confidant, peacemaker or helper. Read more about how to overcome martyrdom.

16. Clear blocks with yoga

17. Learn how to breathe deeply

Best suited to: deficient and excessive blockages

As the heart chakra is ruled by the element of air, learning how to breathe deeply is vital. You can try pranayama techniques such as alternate nostril breathing, or you can simply slow your breathing down organically. Remember, it is actually abnormal for us to take shallow chest breaths. The deeper our breath is, the more oxygen we introduce to our cells. The more oxygen our body has, the better our metabolism functions, and the more relaxed we feel. If you suffer from heart chakra issues such as social anxiety, deep breathing is a powerful practice.

18. Use empowering affirmations

Best suited to: deficient and excessive blockages

Open your heart by repeating meaningful phrases that reprogram the unconscious mind. Choose an affirmation such as, “I am open,” “I embrace who I am,” “I release all fear,” “I listen to my heart,” “I love and forgive others,” “I nurture my inner child,” “I am worthy of love,” “I open myself to love.” Try starting each morning with one of these affirmations.

19. Do one kind thing each day

Best suited to: deficient blockages

Are you a thoughtful person? People with blocked heart chakras have the tendency to be self-absorbed and even emotionally cold. In order to open your heart, try doing something kind each day and share with others. For example, you might like to offer a compliment to someone, say something encouraging or carry out a generous favor.

20. Laugh!

Best suited to: deficient and excessive blockages

Laughter is great medicine and it can be used to open the heart chakra. Find something to laugh about every day, even if that means watching your favorite cat-in-a-costume videos on Youtube.

21. Hum “YAM”

Best suited to: deficient and excessive blockages

This sound matches the vibration of the heart chakra. Try drawing out the letters into sounds, such as “yyyyyyaaaaaammmmmm.” You might also like to listen to binaural beats (a form of music healing therapy) which helps to activate and clear all the chakras through alternating sound waves. Try these chakra healing songs.

Final Advice

After reading all this information, you might be wondering what you should do next.

I recommend picking a handful of activities from the list above that you’re naturally drawn to. Make sure you identify whether you have a deficient or excessive chakra blockage (or a mixture), and choose accordingly. Experiment with each healing modality for a couple of weeks and observe how you feel.

About Aletheia Luna

Aletheia Luna is an influential psychospiritual writer whose work has changed the lives of thousands of people worldwide. After escaping the religious sect she was raised in, Luna experienced a profound existential crisis that led to her spiritual awakening. As a spiritual counselor, diviner, and author, Luna's mission is to help others become conscious of their entrapment and find joy, empowerment, and liberation in any circumstance. [Read More]

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I have been reading your articles which has led me to question various aspects of my life. I have very oppressive parents to the point that i feel suffocated.Even though I am 20 I am not allowed to hang out withn my friends or do anything that 20 year olds normally do.I feel suffocated and extremely sad and I believe I have panic attacks.I want to change and discover my true potential.But discovery requires freedom which has been taken from me.Please help me find my way.

Hi Calista. If you are having panic attacks, I strongly recommend working with these first. Have you tried any herbs, therapy, or even medications (which I’d only recommend temporarily) for these attacks? The behavior of your parents is absolutely shocking and I feel great empathy for you, as I experienced a very similar upbringing. Please look into various alternative and traditional forms of healing, then you can try to develop an escape plan that involves saving money, and finding a stable place to live elsewhere. I hope this helps.

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About Us

Walk the path less traveled

Our names are Aletheia Luna and Mateo Sol and we currently live in Perth, Western Australia.

Our mission is to help others embrace the path of the lone wolf and listen to the soul’s calling. Our goal is to provide a grounded and balanced perspective of spirituality that doesn’t bypass the raw, real, and messy aspects of spiritual growth or psychological development.

We are deeply drawn to exploring and exposing both the light and shadow side of human nature and spirituality. We strive towards integration, balance, wholeness, and embracing both the sacred and wild aspects of being human. Read more.